Bucks County Commissioner Bob Harvie, a Democrat, announced Thursday he will run for Congress in 2026.
Harvie, a former Bucks County Technical High School teacher and Falls Township supervisor, looking to unseat five-term Republican Rep. Brian Fitzpatrick in Pennsylvania’s First Congressional District.
The candidate positioned himself as a champion for working families in the district, which covers all of Bucks County and part of Montgomery County.
“I’m running for Congress because I love this country, I love this community – hardworking, patriotic, middle class Americans. But Washington isn’t working for us anymore,” said Harvie. “People are working longer and harder but still can’t get ahead. The American Dream is slipping further out of reach, and Washington politicians are more focused on serving lobbyists, special interests, and unelected billionaires like Elon Musk than fighting for working families.”
The announcement, which was first reported by The Philadelphia Inquirer, comes more than a year before the Democratic primary.
Harvie faces the challenges of fundraising, increasing his name recognition, and potentially facing primary challengers.
“I’m not a hyper-partisan person. Most votes we take as county commissioners have been unanimous,” Harvie told The Philadelphia Inquirer,. “We recognize that government has to deliver … They want to know you’re gonna work for them.”
Credit: Tom Sofield/NewtownPANow.com
Harvie launched his campaign with endorsements from prominent Democrats, including former congressmen Patrick Murphy and Peter Kostmayer, and former candidates Ashley Ehasz and Scott Wallace. Bucks County Democratic Party Chair State Senator Steve Santarsiero, Montgomery County Democratic Party Chair Jason Salus, Bucks County Democratic Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia, several other Democratic officials and the district’s entire Democratic Pennsylvania House delegation throwing their support behind him.
“Bob Harvie is one of the most decent, honest men I have ever run across, and he is exactly what we need in Washington,” said Ellis-Marseglia. “Bob is the first in his family to go to college, a former public school teacher, and he understands the struggles our families face because he’s lived them. He leads with integrity, he listens, and he gets things done. He is the kind of person my family raised me to believe should be holding a seat in Congress—someone who fights for people, not for special interests.”
It is unclear if any Democrats plan to challenge Harvie in the primary. Sources told LevittownNow.com at least two Democrats have considered throwing their hat in the ring.
A short time later, a group called Defending America PAC, which bills itself as “dedicated to protecting Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick from extremist challenges on both the far-left and far-right,” launched a website called FireHarvie.com. The website features a video montage clocking in at more than 2 minutes criticizing the Democrat.
“Bob Harvie is an embarrassment to himself and an embarrassment to us all. He’s a do-nothing partisan hack who has spent over two decades running for office while thumbing his nose at the middle class,” Defending America PAC spokesman Chris Pack said in a statement.
Maureen O’Toole, the eastern regional press secretary for the National Republican Congressional Committee, said the contrast between Harvie and Fitzpatrick “couldn’t be more clear” and declared that she believes voters will reject the Democratic candidate.
Harvie won his races for commissioner in 2019 and 2023, with national attention on the election. The 2019 win flipped the majority of the commissioners’ majority to Democratic for the first time in decades.
Harvie has spoken at length during commissioners’ meetings about his love for the country, belief in fairness, and support of Democracy. The commissioners drew criticism from Republicans during elections as the state dealt with the introduction of mail-in voting and by conservatives for their health orders, which were less restrictive than some other counties, during COVID-19.
The commissioner has overseen county government, along with Democratic Commissioner Diane Ellis-Marseglia and Republican Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo, during the pandemic, through recent inflation, and as the public and municipalities look to county government for more services.
Harvie testified before a federal grand jury in 2022 as part of an FBI investigation that involved Falls Township, the Pennsbury School District, and others. In 2023, Harvie said he wasn’t the target of the investigation. No charges or indictments have been filed as of this week.
Fitzpatrick, a former FBI special agent, has held back Republican and Democratic challengers in every race he has run since 2017.
According Federal Election Commission data, Fitzpatrick, who has cemented himself as a solid fundraiser, had $4.4 million in his campaign bank accounts as of December 31.
A request for comment was sent to the Fitzpatrick campaign, but it was not immediately returned.
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